A Call by Seamus Heaney (Important Quotes)

Dialogue - The language used is ordinary and informal, signifying how seemingly ordinary the call was.

“‘Hold on,’ she said, ‘I’ll just run out and get him. The weather here’s so good, he took the chance To do a bit of weeding.’”

Imagery, Assonance - Used in stanza 2 to describe the peaceful image of Heaney’s father working in the garden. The assonance emphasises the meticulous way that Heaney’s father worked, and the care and attention he put into it.

“Touching, inspecting, separating one Stalk from the other”

Sensuous Imagery, Assonance - Used in the third stanza to describe the peaceful hallway through both hearing and sight.

“amplified grave ticking of hall clocks” “a calm Of mirror glass and sunstruck pendulums”

Ellipsis - The use of ellipsis before and after the third stanza signify a shift in perspective. Heaney is no longer thinking at the surface level and describing his father. He is given a silent moment of reflection, as are we. During this moment of contemplation, he thinks about the end of life and comes to the conclusion that “if it were nowadays, This is how death would summon Everyman”.

“But rueful also…” “glass and sunstruck pendulums…”

Literary Allusion - Heaney alludes to the 15th century play “Everyman” in the fourth stanza. In the play, death and humanity are personified, and Death calls Everyman to the afterlife. Heaney believes that in a modern day rendition, Death would call Everyman to the afterlife with a friendly, informal phone call.

“And found myself then thinking: if it were nowadays, This is how Death would summon Everyman.”

Stand-Alone Line - This final line in the poem shocks us as we have spent the whole poem listening to Heaney think lovingly about his father working in the garden and contemplating the end of his father’s life. The fact that he does not say he loves him despite thinking very highly of him shows their complicated relationship and the societal restriction on men that disallows them from showing their emotions.

“Next thing he spoke and I nearly said I loved him.”

Tone

Friendly, informal, appraising. Reflective, contemplative.

Mood

Calm, quiet, peaceful, reflective.

Theme - The poet’s relationship with his father.

Clear admiration and love are shown through the detailed imagery of Heaney’s father working “Touching, inspecting, separating”. “I nearly said I loved him”

Theme - Life, ageing and death.

“tapered, frail” weeds relate to Heaney’s father’s declining physical state. The “amplified grave ticking of hall clocks” signify that Heaney’s father’s life is coming to an end. The calmness and near-positivity of the hallway image represents an acceptance of the natural cycle. “mirror glass and sunstruck pendulums”. The reference to the play “Everyman” tells us that Heaney thinks being called to death would be friendly, calm and beautiful like the phone call.